Arianna
As I pull into the pit after going around the racetrack three times, I see Carmine frisking someone. I roll my eyes as I stop the car and get out.
“Good run,” John, my pit leader, says. “You’re improving your time with every lap.”
“Thanks,” I say to John, watching Carmine come over. “Why were you searching that guy?” I ask.
“Because my job is to keep you safe,” he says blankly, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. His tone annoys me.
“I think I’m done for today,” I say, handing my helmet to John. “I’ll be back tomorrow or maybe the day after to try again.”
“No problem, Arianna,” John says with a big grin. He’s rather flirtatious, and I can see Carmine’s jaw clench. I find that amusing.
“So, back home now?” he asks.
“No, I want to go shopping,” I say. I don’t really, but I like the idea of torturing Carmine.
He stands outside the changing rooms as I get back into my jeans and shirt, tossing my hair over my shoulder. I come out to find him standing like a proper guard with his arms crossed in front of his body.
“So, are you seriously going to search everyone every day?” I ask as we make our way back to my car.
“Yes.” He looks at me. “Why?”
“How do I know you’re searching them properly? What if you miss something?”
Carmine chuckles. “I’m really good at searching people, Ari. I’ve been doing it for years.”
“But how do I know you’re doing it right?” I ask.
We reach the car, and he smiles. “Okay, put your arms out against the car, facing the car, and spread your legs,” he says.
I look at him, surprised. “What?”
“I’ll show you how I search people,” he says. “Stand, hands up against the car, and spread your legs.”
I do as I’m told, and he starts at my shoulders. He slowly pats me down. I’ve seen him doing this a few times, but he never goes this slow. Every time he touches me, a bolt of electricity courses through my body. He pats down my sides, and I’m hyper-aware of how his fingers brush the sides of my breasts. He moves down my body, patting my abdomen before kneeling behind me and starting feeling his way up my legs. He’s seriously high up when he starts on the other leg and makes his way up high once again. I lick my lips. They suddenly feel too dry.
“You’re clean,” he whispers as he stands behind me. The air is palpable with tension before he steps away from me. “So, where do you want to go?”
“Fifth Avenue,” I breathe out, trying to shake myself free of his touch and yet wishing it lasted longer. “You can help me pick out some outfits for La Club’s anniversary party.”
I swear he rolls his eyes, and I grin. “Get in.”
We drive over to Fifth Avenue and park in the private parking of the bistro my family owns. We walk up to the shops, and I explore the stores. I find a few outfits at the third one and make Carmine sit on the sofa while I try them on.
I walk out like a runway model and put a hand on my hips. “How do I look?”
He gives a wolf whistle. “You’ll knock them dead, Ari.”
I grin and go back, changing into another. “How about this?”
He gives another wolf whistle. “I like this one more.”
I try on a few more, and he disappears now and then to find something he thinks I’ll look good in. The ones he doesn’t like, he groans, rolling his eyes, like the exceptionally bright yellow sun dress I put on.
“It just isn’t you,” he moans, pretending to shield his eyes.
We pay for the clothes and head to the next store, repeating the process.
I find a pair of barely-covering-my-ass denim shorts and a tight boob tube. When I walk out with my hair coming loose from its braid, Carmine stares at me for a moment, and there’s an awkward silence.
“What’s wrong with it?” I ask nervously.
He shifts on the sofa and shakes his head. “Nothing, it’s just…you look really sexy in it.”
He doesn’t blush. It’s not Carmine’s way, but had it been any other guy, they probably would have. “I think you should get it,” he adds.
I grin and try on a few more outfits before we pay for those.
We get a hot dog each and slowly start to walk back to the bistro. Carmine gets mustard and ketchup all over his face, so I start laughing. He then starts laughing, and soon we can’t walk, laughing too hard to do much more than stand on the spot and giggle at each other.
I take his napkin and carefully wipe his face, aware of how close I am to him.
He looks at me, then above me, before he suddenly drops his food, grabs me, and pulls me to the floor.
Bullets fly above us, and I scream, crouching, covered by his muscular arms. It feels like they shoot at us forever, but I doubt it is more than a minute before I hear a car’s tires squealing as they get away.
Carmine stands first, looking around apprehensively before he says, “Okay, you can get up now.”
He helps me get to my feet, and I’m shaking. I’ve been in danger before, but that was a little too close for comfort if Carmine hadn’t seen them behind me. I look at the bullet holes in the building, dimly aware of the people running away from the scene in fear.
“I’ll call Dominic to smooth this over with the cops.
Let’s get you home,” he says, putting a hand on my arm.
“You saved my life,” I murmur, looking up at him lovingly.
“It’s my job, Ari. I would die to protect you,” he says quietly, knowing he means it.
He starts to lean down to get my shopping, but I put my hands on his chest, and before he can react, I close my eyes and kiss him deeply. After a moment, I feel his arms encircle me and bring me close to his body as his tongue probes my mouth. I open it happily for him, my arms encircling his neck.
It feels like the moment lasts forever, as though everything is moving slowly, like through water. But when I break away, nothing much has changed. People are still freaking out. Some are on their phones with the police.
Carmine looks down at me with heavy-lidded eyes.
“I’ll always save you, especially if that’s my reward.”
My eyelids flutter, and I rest my head against his chest. I feel so secure and safe in his arms.
“We should go,” he says finally. “Let’s get you home.”
We separate, and a coldness fills the gap between our bodies now, not from each other, but a lack of contact.
He scoops up my shopping, and we walk back to my car together.
“I’ll drive,” he says, taking my keys. He opens the passenger side door for me, and I climb in, buckling in.
He climbs in behind the steering wheel and starts the car. I hesitate for a moment, then I rest my hand on his leg, looking out the window.
Carmine
The house is silent as I lie in bed in a room on the guest floor. It’s not far from Arianna’s room, and all I can think about is that kiss. That perfect kiss and the exquisite feel of her lips against mine. My tongue slid into her hot mouth and explored it.
I think about everything-how she smelled and trembled slightly in my arms as we pressed ourselves together.
I’ve already rubbed one out tonight thinking about her, settling between her legs and making her mine.
I want to taste the sweet nectar between her legs as we make love.
I turn over and try to close my eyes. I am driving myself insane thinking about her and wondering if she is thinking about me. Was it a spur-of-the-moment thing? Pushed by adrenaline because I saved her life? Or is this something she’s been thinking about for a while? We’ve flirted a lot over the years, especially in the last weeks, but neither of us has crossed that line-a boundary put between us by Alessandro and the rest of the men in the family.
They would kill me if they knew we kissed. It wouldn’t have had to be more than a sweet kiss. They would cut my dick and balls off and mount them as a reminder to anyone who dared touch Arianna without their permission.
I try to settle down, trying to think about anything but Arianna.
Morning dawns bright and rather intrusively. I must have dropped off without realizing it because it doesn’t feel like I’ve been asleep for long.
I get washed and dressed and walk downstairs to the dining room, where the family is settling down for breakfast.
“Carmine,” Alessandro greets me, “you have the day to yourself today. Arianna will be with me, and my guards will take care of her.”
I nod. “Thank you, Don Sorvino.”
“We can go grab some chow on Fifth then,” Dominic says, already shoveling food into his mouth.
“You’re having breakfast,” Alessandro points out, “and you’re already thinking about more food.”
“A healthy man’s got to eat,” Dominic shrugs, and I grin.
“Fifth sounds fine,” I say, pouring myself some coffee from the pot on the table. “I’ll skip breakfast then, though.” “Chicken,” Dominic says with a mouth full of food.
Arianna joins us, though she doesn’t quite meet my eyes. “Good morning, everyone.”
Everyone murmurs their good mornings.
Once breakfast is done, Dominic and I go check out some of the businesses around the city, stopping at sites where construction is taking place and doing a few cash pickups for the family.
It’s around one when we reach the bistro and sit down, ordering a bowl of pasta each.
“I’m telling you, Dom,” I continue our conversation, “it wasn’t like they were trying to kill her. My gut tells me they aimed for me and meant to kidnap her.”
“There’s a hit on us. It’s nothing unusual,” Dominic says, tucking into his pasta.
“Well, at any rate, with the amount of time I’m spending with Arianna, I may as well marry her,” I joke.
Dominic’s face immediately goes dark. “Not a fuck,” he growls. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re joking. Joke or not, you stay away from my sister, Carmine. You’re there to protect her and only protect her.”
I hold my hands up. “Easy, man, it was just a joke.”
“Don’t joke about Arianna.” Dominic spears some pasta onto his fork and puts it in his mouth.
“You make me sound like such a bad guy. I’m not that bad, Dominic. I treat women well.” I go back to my food.
“I’ve known you most of our lives,” Dominic says, sipping his wine. “And you’ve always been a player, man. There’s no way I’m letting you anywhere near Arianna.”
We eat silently for the rest of the meal, and you could cut the tension with a blunt knife.
“Carmine, I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest.” Dominic wipes his mouth on a napkin and looks at me seriously. “You understand?’
“I’ll always be honest with you.” The first lie I tell him.
“Are you making moves on Arianna?” he asks, staring at me.
Without missing a beat, I chuckle. “Oh man, don’t take life so seriously. I’m not making moves on your sister. I’m not suicidal.” The second lie I tell him.
He nods, sips his wine, and pushes his bowl away.
“Good, ’cause I’d kill you, family or not.”
I nod gravely. “I know you would.” My voice is low and quiet, but he hears me.
We don’t have to pay, so we get up and leave, not talking again until Dominic bids me goodbye at the house.
I walk in and look around. Alessandro is nowhere to be seen, so I check upstairs for Arianna. Did they go out?
I pass Helena and smile. “Hi, Mom. Did Arianna go out with Alessandro?” I ask.
“No, she’s around somewhere in the house,” she says with a wide smile. “Alessandro and Katya have gone out to meet with friends.”
Friends. That means they’re doing family business. Alessandro doesn’t have any friends.
“I’ll look around for her then,” I say, glancing at my watch. It’s not too late, so she shouldn’t be sleeping. I go upstairs to her bedroom and knock on her door. “Ari? Are you in there?”
I wait and knock again, but there’s no answer. Hesitantly I open the door, but the room is empty. I frown and walk around the house. I check the various rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and even the kitchen. I check the garden, and it’s only while I’m out there that it dawns on me that Arianna wouldn’t wait for me to get back to go off and do something.
I hurry to the garage, and as I guessed, her Impala is gone. I take out my phone and dial her number, holding my phone to my ear. It rings, but there’s no answer. I try again and again, but she doesn’t answer at all.
I plug into the family’s phone tracking service and ping her phone. She’s near Long Beach-she’s gone racing.
I look at the cars available in the garage. If something happens to her, my head will not only be on the chopping block, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.
I take the keys off the neatly named hook and climb into Alessandro’s jaguar. I could take one of the town cars, but I want to get there fast, and the jaguar is fast. Its sleek black body will race through the streets with ease.
I take off, and in no time, I’m on the motorway toward
Long Beach. I keep my phone on the tracking service. She’s moving, but it’s around an isolated area. She must be in a race or looking for one.
I curse her under my breath, knowing that she could be attacked at any time. I put my foot down so that the jag shoots forward, the force pushing me back in my seat.
I’m not Arianna. I’m not a professional race car driver, but I’m a damn good one, and I can definitely navigate a fast car when the need arises.
I take the exit toward Long Beach and weave in and out of traffic, my mind focused on finding Arianna.